Kevin Rojek, head of the FBI’s Pittsburgh field office, explained that the interview is a standard procedure for obtaining the perspective of any witness. "We want to get his perspective on what he observed, like any other witness," Rojek said during a call with reporters.
Trump’s supporters had recently criticized FBI Director Christopher A. Wray for informing a House committee that the cause of a minor injury to Trump’s ear had not been definitively established. However, by the end of the week, the FBI clarified that the injury was caused by a bullet or a bullet fragment, a conclusion it reaffirmed on Monday.
The FBI also released the most detailed profile to date of the gunman, Thomas Crooks, revealing that he was a reclusive individual who meticulously hid over two dozen online purchases of weapons and explosives using aliases from his parents. Despite extensive interviews, analysis of electronic devices, and cooperation from his parents, Crooks' motives remain unclear. He appeared less driven by partisan politics and more by a fascination with political violence.
Crooks had recently researched other assassination attempts, such as the shooting of Slovakia’s Prime Minister Robert Fico in May, and had searched for information about Lee Harvey Oswald and President Kennedy. He also looked up topics related to power plants, mass shootings, and improvised explosive devices.
Investigators noted that Crooks' interest in firearms intensified in late 2023, coinciding with his father transferring ownership of an AR-15-type rifle to him. Crooks, who worked in the kitchen of a local assisted care facility and lived with his parents, used multiple encrypted email services and 83 different websites, social media platforms, and gaming networks to conduct his purchases and communications anonymously.